Chemical composition and larvicidal activity of leaf essential oil from Clausena dentata (Willd) M. Roam. (Rutaceae) against the chikungunya vector, Aedes aegypti Linn. (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract

Larvicidal activity of essential oil and isolated compounds from Clausena dentata leaves were tested against early fourth instar Aedes aegypti larvae. GC–MS analysis of essential oil revealed the presence of fourteen compounds of which the major compounds were sabinene (21.27%), biofloratriene (19.61%), borneol (18.34%) and β-bisabolol (17.68%). The essential oil of C. dentata exhibited significant larvicidal activity, with 24 h LC 50 and LC 90 values of 140.2 and 341.6 mg/l, respectively. Larvicidal activities of the four major compounds of essential oil were also tested. The LC 50 values of sabinene, biofloratriene, borneol and β-bisabolol were 27.3, 47.4, 43.5 and 33.2 mg/l, respectively. Results of this study show that the leaf essential oil of C. dentata and its four major compounds may be a potent source of natural larvicides.